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F L O R I D A M E D I T A T I O N C E N T E R

Florida Meditation Center (FMC) is a non-profit organization, whose primary purpose is teaching meditation. It is our conviction that individual peacefulness of mind underlies the collective potential for harmony and peace in the world. FMC operates under the Dhammakaya Foundation, headquarters in Thailand, a non-governmental organization of the United Nations.

FMC was founded in the state of Florida in 2006 by a group of people interested in the practice of meditation. The meditation center is located in the peaceful town of Plant City, 22 miles east from Tampa close to I-4 in Florida. The center is surrounded by nature. The settle atmosphere creates the tranquil environment perfectly suited for meditation.

Dhammakaya Meditation technique is effective and easy to learn. Everyone can benefit from it regardless of age, race or religion.

Activities organized by FMC include meditation lessons, retreats, Buddhism teaching, and youth training. Classes are provided both in English and in Thai, at no charge, but donations are welcomed.

(LUANG PHAW DHAMMAJAYO)

[1944 - PRESENT]

THE PRESIDENT OF THE DHAMMAKAYA FOUNDATION

“Dear all deities and those dwelling here, Black Cliff.

I am a Buddhist monk wearing a saffron robe which
represents the flag of victory to an arahanthood. I aim with my willing power
to set bloodless troops for fighting evils (Mara) here and now.

As long as all living creatures are still suffering from
dhukka-birth, aging, sickness and death- and being an evil’s
slave.

I will remain and dub the dhamma drums in the battle of
samsara.

I will complete Nirvana after all being’s completion.Wish all beings have peace and happiness.”

Dhammajayo Bhikkhu

PHRA RAJBHAVANAVISUDH

PHRA RAJBHAVANAVISUDH(LUANG PHAW DHAMMAJAYO)

THE ABBOT OF WAT PHRA DHAMMAKAYATHE PRESIDENT OF THE
DHAMMAKAYA FOUNDATION

Phrarajbhavanavisudh (Venerable Dhammajayo Bhik- khu) was
born Chaiyaboon Sutthipol on the 22nd April 1944 to Janyong Sutthipol (his
father) and Juree Sut- thipol (his mother). At Suan Kularb School, Bangkok,
Thailand, Chaiyaboon during his adolescence, started to be interested in
Buddhism. Having matriculated from Suankularb Wittayalai School (Secondary) in
1963, Chai- yaboon was enrolled in the Faculty of Economics, Kasetsart
University.

While in college, he became a student at the Meditation
Center of Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen. It was here that he first met the Buddhist
nun Chandra Khonnokyoong, one of the most respected Buddhist Meditation
teachers at that time. Under Kuhn Yay's supervision, Chaiyaboon attained a
certain level of knowledge of Buddhism.

Chaiyaboon also got to know many fellow students both in
Kasetsart University and in other universities who were interested in
practicing meditation. One of these early acquaintances later became his
assistant in the endeavor to establish the Dhammakaya Buddhist Center. His
assistant was Mr.Padet Pongswardi who became a Buddhist monk and is now
well-known as Phrabhavanaviriyakhun, the Vice-abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya.

After his graduation from Kasetsart University with a
B.Sc. degree in Economics, he was ordained at Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen on the
27th of August 1969. After six years of monkhood, Ven.Dhammajayo became a
teacher in the specialized approach to meditation known as Dhammakaya
meditation. In the beginning, the meditation courses were carried out at a
private lodging called ‘Baan Dhammaprasit’ within the compound of Wat Paknam
Bhasicharoen. On 23rd February 1970, the group moved to a plot of donated land
in Pathum Thani Province. Ven.Dhammajayo and a group of devoted Buddhists
transform the site into a wooded parkland with a system of canals.

Phrarajbhavanavisudh influenced millions of people within
Thailand and worldwide to practice meditation form of Dhammakaya. He set up the
Dhammakaya Open University (DOU) in Azusa, California in 2003 to offer degree
courses in Buddhist studies.He
encouraged Thais to quit drinking and smoking through the activities of
Anti-Drinking and Anti-Smoking program. World Health Organization (WHO)
presented the 2004 World No Tobacco Day Award to Phrarajbhavanavisudh in
recognition for his achievement of activities of the Anti- Drinking and
Anti-Smoking program on 31st May 2004.

Phrarajbhavanavisudh persuaded Thai Youths to come to the
temple and participate in various community and social services. Hundreds of
people participate in various activities annually.Up to present, these pro-grams have been in
existence for almost two decades and a total of tens of thousands of young Thai
people have ordained while almost five million young Thai people have
participated in such activities.

His movement has expanded to over eighteen countries
worldwide. He has also established a Buddhist satellite network or Dhamma Media
Channel (DMC.TV) with a 24 hour-a-day Dharma and meditation teachings broadcast
to the audience worldwide.

In 2006, the World Buddhist Sangha Youth (WBSY) committee
unanimously agreed to present the most honorable Universal Peace Award – the
highest award in commemoration of year 2550 B.E. – to Phrarajbhava- navisudh
(Ven.Dhammajayo Bhikkhu), the president of Dhammakaya Foundation whose work in
dissemination of Buddhism for more than 30 years is vitally recognized.

Phrabhavanaviriyakhun

(LUANG PHAW DATTAJEEVO)

[1941 - PRESENT]THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE DHAMMAKAYA
FOUNDATION

Phrabhavanaviriyakhun (also known as Phadet Datta- jeevo)
is a Thai Buddhist monk. Born in 1941 in Kan- chanaburi, Thailand, he followed
secular education to post-graduate level.

When Wat Phra Dhammakaya, Pathum Thani Province was
founded in 1970, he was the enthusiastic leader who was not only in charge of
the pioneering construction work but also for developing the friendly
relationships with many householders living in the neigh- bourhood of the
temple. He was ordained in 1971, at the age of thirty-two at Wat Paknam
Bhasicharoen, Bangkok and studied in the Dhammakaya meditation tradition of
Phra Monkolthepmuni (Luang Pu Wat Paknam) under his teachers Kuhn Yay Maha
Ratana Upasika Chandra Khonnokyoong (1909–2000) and Phrarajbhavanavisudh
(Chaiyaboon Dhammajayo) (b. 1944). He also had the opportunity to study in the
academic curriculum of Dhamma Studies until reaching Grade I.

Within a few years, he had become a well-known Dhamma
lecturer. A set of Dhamma Sermon cassettes on the ‘Thirty-Eight Blessings (Mangala
Sutta)’ was his earliest masterpiece. These lectures became very popular with
Thais both in Thailand and abroad. He was made vice-president of the Dhamma
Missionary Outreach Sector 8 and is the president of the Dhammakaya
International Society of California. Most

notably he is vice-president of the Dhammakaya
Foundation, an organization dedicated to the outreach of meditation and
Buddhism for world peace throughout the world. He was also acting abbot of Wat
Phra Dhammakaya from 2000-2006. His work in Buddhist teaching were recognized
by the Royal Palace of Thailand and he was consequently elevated to the Royal
Order (Ordinary Level) with the title ‘Phrabhavanaviriyakhun’ in 1992.He has also received the Dhammacakra
Sema-Pillar award from H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn in 1993.

Better known to his congregation as ‘Luang Phaw Datta-
jeevo’, it is now thirty years he has spent teaching the Dhamma. He has spoken
regularly before international audiences and as a panelist at the United
Nations General Assembly Special Session “World Summit for Social Development”
on 30 June 2000 in Geneva, he highlighted the importance of spirituality in
addressing social development and overcoming poverty.

An active author, he has written more than sixty Dhamma books
published in the Thai language, ten of which have been translated into foreign
languages. At the age of sixty-eight years, he is still working as hard as
thirty years ago. As vice-president of the Dhammakaya Foundation, he has to run
the organization as Phrarajbhavanavisudh’s right-hand man.

Khun Yay Archaraya

Chandra Khonnokyoong

Khun Yay Acharaya Chandra Khonnokyoong was born on a
Wednesday that was 5 days ahead of the full moon of the second lunar month in
1909. Khun Yay was the fifth of nine children in the family. Her father, Ploy,
and mother, Pan, were well-to-do farmers in Nakhonchaisri, Nakhon Pathom
Province.

Since early childhood, Khun Yay was extremely diligent
and hard-working that was hard to find anyone to compare. At her teenage year,
she failed to witness her father’s sudden decease, thus, could not beg for
forgiveness before his departure. Hence, she was very determined to meet him
somewhere afterlife.

In 1937 Khun Yay heard of Luang Pu Wat Paknam
Bhaseecharoen who was teaching disciples to visit hells and heavens by the
power of meditation. She then decided for renunciation, leaving home for Wat
Paknam to learn meditation. Her plan was step by step, starting from being a
servant of the house that the mistress was an important supporter to the Wat.
This was a chance to learn meditation with the meditation teacher from the Wat.
Finally in her meditation she attained “Dhamma- kaya.” Dhammakaya is the
(inner) body of Enlighten- ment. With the power of Dhammakaya, she could help
her father in the realm of hell. Later, she could live at Wat Paknam and enter
nunhood ever since. With her

nature of determination, her meditation went up to
intermediate and so advanced that she studied ‘Vijja Dhammakaya’ (the high
level of Dhammakaya Medita- tion) in person with Luang Pu Wat Paknam (Phramong-
kolthepmuni). She won the reputation for her meditation progress. It was one
day that the Great Abbot Luang Pu Wat Paknam praised Khun Yay that her
meditation was as profound as “Second To None.”

Khun Yay, as one of the students of Luang Pu Wat Paknam,
was in the forefront in meditation learning. Luang Pu was the founder of
Dhammakaya Meditation while Khun Yay was the one who passed on Vijja Dhammakaya
(or the Knowledge from attaining the Dhammakaya) from the Great Abbot to Luang
Phor Dhammajayo (Ven. Dhammajayo Bhikkhu). Luang Phor himself is determined to
propagate the teachings of Buddhism together with Dhammakaya Meditation to all
mankind.

That is to say, Khun Yay Archaraya Chandra Khonnok- yoong
is the founder of Wat Phra Dhammakaya.

Khun Yay is the key and is the whole factors of progress
of Wat Phra Dhammakaya.

Khun Yay Archaraya

Chandra Khonnokyoong

[ 1909 - 2000 ] The Founder of wat phra Dhammakaya

Life retires at 60 but not for Khun Yay.At 60 she started her new chapter of life by leading her
meditation students

to build Wat Phra Dhammakaya, north of Bangkok.With the initial fund of only 3,200 baht (US$ 80 approx.)and strong determination of the devoting team,

today we witness the Temple that is clean and beautiful
for all who seek mental and spiritual refuge. Her life is forever worthwhile to
discover...